FDA suggests charging fees to pay for oversight

FDA suggests charging fees to pay for oversight

3/22/2013COMMENTS (0)

BOSTON (Reuters) - The head of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration proposed on Friday that the agency charge fees to compounding pharmacies to pay for the oversight needed to prevent a recurrence of the meningitis outbreak that has killed 50 people and sickened hundreds more.

FDA Commissioner Margaret Hamburg said in an official blog post that serious problems continue to take place at compounding pharmacies and she is hopeful that the Senate committee with jurisdiction over the issue "will yield strong legislation for patients across the nation."

The post can be found at: http://blogs.fda.gov/fdavoice/index.php/2013/03/fda-must-have-new-authorities-to-regulate-pharmacy-compounding/?source=govdelivery

Hamburg said one possible mechanism for funding the additional oversight could include registration or other fees of the kind Congress has authorized in other settings. Pharmaceutical companies, for example, pay fees to help fund the FDA's drug review process.

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